Crystal amaze: how a chameleon changes colour revealed

Altering the space between tiny crystals allows lizards to reflect a specific wavelength of light and camouflage themselves, study finds

It is one of nature's most spectacular displays and now scientists have shown how the chameleon changes colour.

A study has found that the lizards possess a layer of skin cells that contain floating nanocrystals. The tiny crystals are roughly evenly spaced throughout the cell and this spacing determines the wavelength of light that the cells reflect.